So Small
by CriminalOutsider'sGirl14
Summary: "Remember when war was just a game you played in your front yard, and freedom really was free, like it implied? Remember when the world seemed smaller, and you felt bigger than the dot you drew on a piece of paper on your second grade map? Nothing was the same, stuck in this humid hell-hole." -Sodapop, featuring multiple scenes in Vietnam. One-shot. Rated T for violence.


**Chapter 1: Gooks, Buddies, and Seeing Your Brothers**

 **So Small**

 **Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own "The Outsiders" or any of the Curtis' Gang. The real owner of "The Outsiders" is the best author ever, S.E. Hinton. I also do not make a profit from the stories that I write on this site. All rights and lyrics belong to Carrie Underwood.**

 **A/N: If you like it, love it, or even if you hate it, you know what to do. Tell me in a review. Suggestions are always welcome, no matter what they might be. Thanks.**

 **Sodapop's POV (October 10th, 1968; Vietnam)**

 _What you got if you ain't got love  
The kind that you just want to give away  
It's okay to open up  
Go ahead and let the light shine through  
I know it's hard on a rainy day  
You wanna shut the world out and just be left alone  
But don't run out on your faith_

Saying goodbye to your brothers is the hardest thing you've ever had to do.

"I'm gonna miss you, little buddy," Darry tells you, his voice cracking. Ponyboy had you around the waist, sobbing silently.

You put your hand up, a silent gesture. Bye, guys. Your not sure if it's going to be the last time you ever see them again. You can barely bare the thought of never seeing your brothers.

OoOoOoO

 _'Cause sometimes that mountain you've been climbing  
Is just a grain of sand  
And what you've been out there searching for forever  
Is in your hands  
And when you figure out love is all that matters after all  
It sure makes everything else seem so small_

OoOoOoO

You turn to your best buddy to read his facial expression as you step off of the airplane. If it was anybody but you he would look stoic, but you can see the fear yet excitement in his dark eyes.

Here you are in a foreign country, against your will, with your best friend. If only you could trick your mind into believing it was just an adventure or vacation.

This is where they send poor greasers and convicts and drafted unlucky young men. Boys, really. They send to the front lines to be part of the death toll. You prayed that the war would be over before Ponyboy or Darry were eligible.

Steve meets your chocolate eyes. "This is it," he says simply, his eyes shining. He's already homesick, too.

"Welcome home, buddy" you say, attempting to lighten the mood. It's suppose to be a joke, but nobody laughs. You didn't expect them to anyway.

You see Allen, a jumpy kid who threw up on the plane, crying. Everybody laughs and calls him a sissy, but that night when you get a hold of some chocolate you share it with him instead of Steve, and you all three share stories of home to pass the long, lonely nights.

 **OoOoOoO**

 ** _It's so easy to get lost inside_**

 ** _A problem that seems so big at the time_**

 ** _It's like a river that's so wide it swallows you whole_**

 ** _While you're sitting around_**

 ** _thinking about what you can't change_**

 ** _And worrying about all the wrong things_**

 ** _Time's flying by, moving so fast_**

 ** _You better make it count 'cause you can't get it back_**

 **OoOoOoO (November, 1968)**

Sodapop's letter:

 _Darry and Pony_

 _How's life in Tulsa? Man is it hot here! Training was real tuff at first, but now it's just really difficult and tiring. But I'm allright, don't worry. How are yall? What have I missed? I miss your chocolate cake for sure. All I want for Christmass is a big slice of your chocolate cake. I really miss you guys. Well I guess the Sarge is saying its lights out so I better head to bed. I miss you guys a lot._

 _Sodapop Curtis_

 _P.S. Steve misses you all a lot! He just won't admit it._

Steve's letter:

 _Dear Tulsa (Two-Bit, Pony, and Darry)_

 _Don't expect any of that boo-hoo I miss you all a ton junk that Sodapop is probably writing. He's reading over my shoulder and says to say "hi" for him. Like he doesn't have his own pencil and paper for Christ's Sakes! But besides that, I'm okay and it ain't so bad over here. They give us guns and the food ain't like your mama's but I'll be okay. Wish I had me a car to fix or something. They ain't made me a mechanic._

 _P.S. Now that Soda's gone, I can write this. Stay laughing Two-Bit, live a little bit Darry, and stay smart kid. I'm looking after Soda for you. I promise, Ponyboy._

 **OoOoOoO (Still Soda) (October 1968)**

The first raid comes as a surprise. Your barely asleep when you hear some people hollering and the loud but familiar _pop, pop, pop, pop,_ of rapid gunfire. Instinctively, your out of bed with a gun in your hands before you can even blink.

People are taking cover and shooting all around you, so you shoot and try and find cover, too. You look around for Steve, but it's all a dark, bloody, and messy haze and you can't seem to find him. You hear a yell next to you and you see little Allen on the ground covered in dark crimson blood.

You just keep shooting. You tell yourself that your gonna have to get use to it. Death is as common as a cold over here.

When the last of the gooks are gone, for the night, you finally see Steve. He's pale but he's alive and all you can do is hug him and try not to collapse right there.

 **OoOoOoO**

 ** _Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing_**

 ** _Is just a grain of sand_**

 ** _And what you've been out there_** ** _searching for forever_**

 ** _Is in your hands_**

 ** _Oh, and when you figure out love is all that matters after all_**

 ** _It sure makes everything else seem_**

 ** _So small, yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah_**

 **OoOoOoO**

You go back to camp and your thoughts are on the gooks. Do they have families? Young children that depend on them and miss them or brothers or parents at home?

This ain't a rumble, this is killin' people. And this don't feel like "fightin' for your county" or any other heroic soldier bullcrap, it just feels like murder. If you even survive this place your gonna have to live with that the rest of your life.

 **OoOoOoO**

In December you and Steve both catch the flu at the same time that's been going around the camp. The medic, Private Jones, checks you all out to make sure it's not the Hong Kong flu, and it ain't, so he tells you to drink plenty of fluids and other crap, but unless your fever is 102 or higher then you just have to suck it up. Your all SIQ, sick in quarters, and you all have to do the same chores, even if they take you longer because you have to stop and toss your breakfast every so often.

You give Steve a real good scare, though, the next day. One minute your cleaning the bathrooms with Steve and you stand up to clean the sink, and the next minute your head hurts and there's a thermometer in your mouth. Turns out you passed out in the bathroom with 103 degree fever and you bumped your head.

Your assigned with indoor duty until your fever gets down to 101.5 or lower, which takes you three days despite the fact that Steve was feeling a lot better the very next day.

 **OoOoOoO**

 ** _Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing_**

 ** _Is just a grain of sand_**

 ** _And what you've been out there searching for forever_**

 ** _Is in your hands_**

 ** _And then you figure out love is all that matters after all_**

 ** _It sure makes everything else_**

 ** _Oh, it sure makes everything else seem_**

 ** _So small_**

 **OoOoOoO (June, 1969)**

Remember when war was just a game you played in your front yard when your buddy's dad drank a little too much, and combatt was just a word you refused to learn how to spell in Language Arts class? Remember when the world was smaller then it really is, and you felt a lot bigger than the dot you drew on a piece of paper on your second grade map?

Nothing was the same, stuck in this humid can barely sleep, if you do it's just a light sleep where someone's breathing can wake you up, and you barely eat. You don't think that you can do this anymore. But you know you have to because there are people counting on you to live.

One day, eight months into your two year long tour, there's an attack. Bullets are flying everywhere and you can barely breathe there's so much smoke. Suddenly, there's a sharp pain in your chest and you feel something warm and moist and sticky on you. There's a bright light and the last thing you think is "I am so sorry, Ponyboy." Everything gets dark and you hear your mom's welcoming voice.

 **A/N: Longest one-shot ever! Was my point of view good? I'm kinda disappointed with this. Not as good as my original outline. Did I do alright?**

 **Word Count: 1,623 words!**

 **Aufenthalt Gold,**

 **~Alee xXx**


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